The Twilight effect: Aussies pick fantasy over reality

Three quarters of Australians wish that fictional elements from the Twilight movies were real  

The fantasy created by The Twilight Saga author, Stephenie Meyer; one of teenage angst, romance and immortal love, has resonated strongly with Australian audiences.

While three quarters of Aussies wish that fictional elements of the series were real, ranking highest on the wish list of vampire / werewolf supernatural abilities is seeing into the future, followed closely by mind reading and super strength. More than a third (34%) also desire the gift of immortality.

The survey, commissioned by Universal Sony Pictures Home Entertainment to mark the DVD and Blu--ray release of The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2, also revealed that the fantasy of a love triangle between a human, a vampire, and a werewolf has significantly raised Aussie's expectations when it comes to romance.

With 76% of Australians having watched at least one movie from The Twilight Saga, and some watching a single movie up to 20 times, it seems it is not only teenage girls who have dreamt of what it might be like to be swept off their feet by a vampire. Over half of Aussie women claim to desire a love that rivals the fictional characters of Edward and Bella; with more than a third going so far as to rate Edward and Bella's first kiss and first date better than their own.

Psychologist, Meredith Fuller comments: "the comparison of real life events and situations to the storylines of films and books by everyday people is not new. The escapism that films such as those in The Twilight Saga offer can sometimes be extremely strong, offering people an 'away', even for 90 minutes, from their own lives.

"It isn't only escapism; a number of teens find that these films - in addition to their friends discussing the themes -- provide a sense of ethics or codes to live their lives by.

"As the survey reveals, just like teenager, Bella Swan; more than half of teen girls claim to have an understanding of what Bella's life is like in the Twilight movies, relating their own real--life situations to her struggles. Moral themes from the film also resonated with the younger audience; 15% said that Edward and Bella's 'no sex before marriage' has impacted their celibacy decision.

THE TWILIGHT SAGA: BREAKING DAWN - PART 2

Cast: Robert Pattinson Kristen Stewart Taylor Lautner
Director: Bill Condon
Writers: Melissa Rosenberg (screenplay) Stephenie Meyer (novel)
Genre: Vampire/Romance
Rating: M
Duration: 115 mins

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2, the final chapter of The Twilight Saga, will be released on Blu--ray (plus Digital Copy and Ultraviolet) and 2--disc DVD (plus Digital Copy and Ultraviolet) on March 20, 2013. Both the Blu--ray Disc and 2--disc DVD will feature hours of extensive bonus materials.

In The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2, the birth of Bella (Kristen Stewart) and Edward's (Robert Pattinson) child brings conflict between Bella and her lifelong friend, Jacob (Taylor Lautner), and an all--out war between the Cullens and the Volturi.

Driven by an unbelievably enthusiastic and loyal fan base, Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series has sold over 116 million copies worldwide while the global box office for the complete film series stands at over $3.3 billion, with Part 2 achieving the highest grosses of all with $821.8 million. In addition, the franchise now has eight separate Facebook pages dedicated to its stories and characters totaling nearly 80 million fans.

The Blu--ray and 2--disc DVD will include hours of bonus materials that are sure to satisfy even the most dedicated fans. A seven--part making--of documentary will provide an incredibly detailed behind--the--scenes look at how the finale of this epic series came together, including Bella's transformation, a global cast of vampires and the shocking climactic battle scene. The significant challenges of shooting Breaking Dawn - Part 1 and Part 2 back to back are exposed in the feature, "Two Movies at Once." Viewers will also be able to gain new insight into the making of the film with an audio commentary by director Bill Condon. "Jump to" features allow fans to watch only their favorite scenes in the film featuring Edward Cullen and Jacob Black.

BLU--RAY & DVD SPECIAL FEATURES* * "Forever: Filming Breaking Dawn Part 2" - Seven--part "making of" documentary * Chapter 1: "Rebirth" o Chapter 2: "Renesmee" * Chapter 3: "The Cottage" * Chapter 4: "The Gathering" * Chapter 5: "The Field" * Chapter 6: "The Battle" * Chapter 7: "Forever" * "Two Movies at Once" featurette * "The Forgotten" Green Day music video * "Jump to" features * Audio commentary with director Bill Condon Trailer - www.breakingdawn--themovie.com

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 2
RRP: $34.95 Blu-ray RRP: $39.95
Breaking Dawn Trailer

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Stephenie Meyer Twilight Interview - www.girl.com.au/stephenie-meyer-twilight.htm

 

^{Research was conducted by Lonergan Research among 1,054 Australians. Fieldwork commenced on Tuesday, February 19 and was completed on Wednesday, February 27, 2013. This study was conducted online amongst members of a permission--based panel. After interviewing, data was weighted to the latest population estimates sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.}